Below is an extract from an Euractiv report on a speech by a Commission Director at the European Parliament on 12 October 2016:

Marie Donnelly, Director for Renewables, Research, and Energy Efficiency in the Commission’s Energy directorate, explained the reasons behind the decision to phase out first generation biofuels…

In essence, she said the Commission should take public perceptions into account when deciding on policy, even when they are wrong. And in the case of biofuels, public opinion is simply negative, she argued.

“We cannot just be led by economic models and scientific theories,” Donnelly said. “We have to be very sensitive to the reality of citizens’ concerns, sometimes even if these concerns are emotive rather than factual based or scientific”.

I recently wrote an article about endocrine disruptors, a topic where we see the science profoundly disputed by different parties, making the decision-making procedure even more difficult.

But this is even worse. The Commission seems to be saying (or at least thinking) that even when citizens are wrong, their views should be given equal weight when the EU is debating important policy issues.

There is no longer any rationality in decision-making. Interpretation and emotion dominates because science is no longer recognised as a source of progress

In these times of complexity, opacity and political correctness, speaking openly is now more important than ever.

About: Daniel Guéguen

With 40 years of experience in EU public affairs, Daniel Guéguen is founder and Head of Strategy and Lobbying at PACT European Affairs.

In 1996 he created CLAN Public Affairs and the European Training Institute. Before this, Daniel was Head of the European sugar industry and Secretary General of COPA-COGECA, the EU farmers’ union lobby. Guéguen is Professor at the College of Europe in Bruges and Natolin, as well as at SciencePo Paris and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). He previously taught at Georgetown University and Harvard Kennedy School. He is a renowned author of 15 books translated into 20 languages. Recent publications include: “Comitology: Hijacking European Power?” (2010), “Handbook on EU Secondary Legislation” (2012), “Reshaping European Lobbying” (2013) and “The New Practical Guide to the EU Labyrinth” (2015).